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. . . to receive an update from the License Commission about complaints regarding the LMA jitney and to discuss Awaiting Reports Numbered 06-38 and 06-100 regarding unauthorized bus lines using neighborhood streets. |
July 27, 2006Committee Report #1 TRANSPORTATION, TRAFFIC AND In City Council September 25, 2006
The Transportation, Traffic and Parking. Committee held a public meeting on Thursday, July 27, 2006 at five o’clock and thirty-one minutes P.M. in the Ackermann Room, The purpose of the meeting was to discuss jitneys, to receive an update from the License Commission about complaints regarding the LMA jitney and to discuss Awaiting Reports Numbered 06-38 and 06-100 regarding unauthorized bus lines using neighborhood streets. Present at the meeting were Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair of the Committee, Councillor Henrietta Davis, Vice Mayor Timothy J. Toomey, Richard Scali, License Commissioner and Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk. Also present were Richard Daley, Jr., Paul Revere Transportation, David Eppstein and Sam Jerome, MASCO and Lawrence Adkins, Riverside Neighborhood Association. Councillor Kelley opened the meeting and explained the purpose. Councillor Kelley stated that he was hoping to get more information regarding jitney regulations. He wanted to know how many jitneys there are in the city. He questioned Mr. Scali about what is being done about the complaint by Ms. Headley of the LMA. Mr. Scali gave an update about the LMA. The License Commission voted to eliminate Putnam Avenue from the LMA route. The committee heard from the MASCO representatives. Mr. Eppstein stated that he is a service provide for MASCO. MASCO is attempting to provide the right service. No portion of Putnam Avenue will be used by LMA. Four routes will be combined. About twenty-five people who use the LMA to travel to the medical area will be affected per day. They would need to access busses from Massachusetts Avenue. Councillor Kelley commented that the M2 Express would not go down Putnam Avenue. Mr. Scali responded that a new route would be submitted to the License Commission and would be transmitted to the City Council. Mr. Jerome informed the committee that the Coolidge Corner route would be left intact. Councillor Kelley asked if there is any altering of a jitney license what is the process. Mr. Scali responded that the License Commission conducts a hearing. Recommendations are forwarded to the City Manager to be transmitted to the City Council. MASCO agreed to this change. It is his intention to forward the recommendations to the City Manager for either the August 7th or the September 11th City Council meeting. Councillor Kelley questioned who pays a fee. Mr. Eppstein stated that if you are not affiliated with Harvard University a fee is collected, but buses are open to anyone. The fee is $2.30 starting October l, 2006. Councillor Davis asked about the status of the general public using the LMA and paying the $2.30 fee. Mr. Eppstein stated that tickets in the form of a debit card, known as the Crimson Cash Card, could be obtained from the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department. The tickets are also available at the medical area and at Holyoke Center. The Crimson Cash Card is available to the general public. Value can be added to the card via computer to ride the LMA. Ms. Davis asked how anyone would know about this service. Information about the Crimson Cash Card would be publicized. The Community Development Department made the suggestion to have brochures and information about the debit card available at the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department. Councillor Kelley asked if there are other jitney licenses that can offer this service. Mr. Scali explained that a jitney license is a license granted for a fee on a fixed route for the carriage of passengers. There are eight or nine jitney licenses in the city. The License Commission has authority for jitney licenses. Councillor Davis stated that she was glad with the service offered by MASCO. She wanted this service opened to the general public. Mr. Jerome stated that about 2,000 general public trips were handled by the LMA shuttle. Jitneys are fixed route with both fees and stops. Councillor Kelley asked what is the difference between a jitney license versus bus route. Mr. Scali responded a jitney is a fixed route for the carriage of passengers for a fee. A shuttle is not a fixed route and maybe free. He cited the example of the Galleria shuttle. Also Peter Pan is not a jitney. The Hyatt Shuttle is also not a jitney, but a shuttle. The difference is if the bus does not stop and pick up passengers it is not a jitney and not under the authority of the License Commission. Councillor Kelley asked how could the city increase the rider ship on the LMA. Mr. Eppstein stated that the riders on the LMA are interested in the route, but for the most part they are getting what they would expect to carry but one can purchase tickets at on the ground floor at the Event and Information center. A discussion ensued about the schedule times of the LMA runs. The M2 runs every 10 minutes from 7-9:40 AM, the same again from 4-6:30 PM and every half hour in between. There are seven buses making a constant route. Does the M2 loop around the #47 bus asked Councillor Davis. Mr. Eppstein responded in the affirmative. The M2 and #47 timing is almost identical. The route from Harvard Square to LMA takes one hour. There is a back up that is caused by the tunnel stated Mr. Daley. Mr. Adkins requested information about the express route. Mr. Eppstein stated that the M2 was three different routes. One route travels down Massachusetts Avenue. The quicker, by about 8 minutes, express route was the Putnam Avenue route that has been eliminated. The third is the Coolidge Corner route. This route will continue. The M2 route will be increased in frequency which may shave a minute or two on that route. The routes are going from three to two. Councillor Kelley asked if Harvard Square was the terminus. Mr. Eppstein stated that the route ends at Johnson Gate on Massachusetts Avenue by MBTA stop and begins at Quincy Street. The majority of riders get on at Quincy Street. He requested to begin the change on September 1, 2006 in an effort to provide notification to the twenty-five people who would be most affected. Mr. Scali commented that this request to eliminate Putnam Avenue and beginning the change on September 1st must be put in writing and sent to the License Commission for a recommendation. Mr. Jerome suggested an effective date of August 26, 2006. Mr. Adkins stated that in the past there has been no access to LMA for residents. There are residents who would use this route if they had knowledge of access and timing. Mr. Scali urged Mr. Eppstein to contact the Chamber of Commerce to see if this could be worked out based on Mr. Eppstein informing the committee that MASCO cannot handle any cash transactions. Councillor Kelley suggested that this information should be provided on the LMA bus. Mr. Adkins suggested selling the tickets at the NSTAR building. Mr. Eppstein stated that the Harvard University and the medical centers sell the tickets but that the system could not run on direct cash payments for rides as the buses are not equipped for cash. Mr. Jerome stated that the Harvest Co-Op would investigate the possibility of selling the tickets. Mr. Adkins reiterated that residents do not know that they can get on the LMA bus. He suggested that Cambridge residents should ride for free. Councillor Kelley asked if there was a market analysis done for ticket services, as 4,000 riders seemed a small number to expend the efforts of such a study. Mr. Eppstein stated that this has not been done. Harvard University has paid for this service. The rider ship consists of 82% of riders employed by Harvard or students; the remainder employees of other institutions that use the cash card and 5% buy tickets. Mr. Jerome stated that Harvard University subsidizes the cost. Mr. Eppstein stated that the City of Cambridge could purchase a block of tickets and then sell the tickets to riders. Ms. Davis commented that it was like a TMA, and that the City could join just as it has joined the Charles River TMA from North Station. Councillor Kelley inquired as to the capacity. Mr. Jerome responded in the school year 3,300 and in summer 2,900 per day. Mr. Eppstein stated that the AM and PM peak hours are close to capacity and that sometimes people cannot get on full buses. Mr. Eppstein stated that MASCO bills Harvard University for the service of the LMA. Harvard receives revenue from tickets and the cash cards. Harvard requested the service. If after four years Harvard does not want this service, but the medical area wanted the service, MASCO would run the service for the medical area. Future Harvard development transtrportation issues will be decided on by Harvard, who may go through MASCO or not as it wishes. MASCO is a non-profit that does a lot of other things besides manage the M2 route. Paid parking with an associated shuttle, such as airport parking, does not constitute a jitney. All sorts of other groups and organizations can provide Harvard’s transportation needs. Mr. Scali stated that the License Commission has authority for jitneys. The Police Department handles other bus route complaints. Mr. Adkins asked who is the enforcement component of busses traveling down Putnam Avenue, such as charter busses. Councillor Davis responded Lieutenant Albert is the enforcement component. Mr. Scali informed the committee that Lieutenant Albert has been doing truck enforcement on Putnam Avenue and that enforcement is only possible on restricted roads. Councillor Kelley thanked those present for their attendance. The meeting was adjourned at six o’clock and thirty-five minutes p. m. on motion of Councillor Davis. For the Committee, Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair |